<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Best Birthday Ever by LiutenantMars</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23752045">Best Birthday Ever</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/LiutenantMars/pseuds/LiutenantMars'>LiutenantMars</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Roswell New Mexico (TV 2019)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Birthday, Drunkenness, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Gen, Nebulous well adjusted future, Pod Squad (Roswell), Post-Episode: s02e05 I'll Stand By You, Sibling Bonding, Tattoos, matching tattoos</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 16:22:14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,071</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23752045</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/LiutenantMars/pseuds/LiutenantMars</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>“You know, if this was really going to be like our 21st then someone should get a tattoo” Michael said mischievously.</p>
<p>“Wha?” Max replied. He looked confused until Michael nodded his head toward Isobel. “Oh! Yes Isobel you should…”</p>
<p>“Oh, no no no,” Isobel interrupted. “I am not doing that.”</p>
<p>-The Pod Squad celebrates their birthday, while Max and Michael try to convince Isobel to get a certain tattoo.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Isabel Evans &amp; Max Evans &amp; Michael Guerin, Isobel Evans &amp; Max Evans, Isobel Evans &amp; Max Evans &amp; Michael Guerin, Isobel Evans &amp; Michael Guerin, Max Evans &amp; Michael Guerin</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>30</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Best Birthday Ever</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This was just a fun idea I had for a future pod squad birthday after the flashbacks in s2e05. Especially because I love tattoos. It takes place in some near future where Max is back to normal, they're being a family, and outside threats are at a minimum.</p>
<p>Hope you enjoy!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It was her birthday, well their birthday. Not their real ones, but the closest they had. And it was good. Life wasn’t perfect, there was still information to uncover, scary government conspiracies, and other unknown threats. But the three of them? They were good. They were all alive, mostly healthy, and happy together.</p>
<p>They were getting drinks at the Pony to celebrate. Isobel and Michael both on their way to pleasantly buzzed, Max on his way to happily drunk. He had always been the lightweight of the three of them. Michael was usually a somber drunk, but tonight he had a giant smile. He and Max were laughing. Isobel couldn’t remember the last time she’d seen them so happy together. Maybe she never really had. But either way it had been such a long time since the three of them were close, and Isobel was reveling in the feeling. They were a family. Isobel couldn’t believe they’d survived so long with their relationships fractured. They had been through so much, but they’d made it together. All their secrets were out, and though they’d always feel the guilt of their mistakes, it was like a weight had been lifted. Maybe it wasn’t just her brothers who had never been this happy, maybe Isobel hadn’t either?</p>
<p>Max’s booming voice broke through her thoughts. “Man, I still can’t believe you did that. You’re such a sap Michael.”</p>
<p>“Lies,” Michael replied “I do not have a sentimental bone in my body.” They both burst into happy tipsy giggles.</p>
<p>“What sentimental thing have you done now?” Isobel asked.</p>
<p>“Did you ever show her?” Max directed his question to Michael. For a second Isobel’s heart sank. Could he have another secret?</p>
<p>“Show me what?” Isobel tried to convince herself there was no way it was anything bad, Max had even called it sappy. Michael huffed out a frustrated but amused sigh. He didn’t answer but turned his back to them and started unbuttoning his shirt. Isobel was confused until he pulled his shirt down to uncover his shoulder.</p>
<p>There on Michael’s shoulder was a symbol she knew. Max had gotten it tattooed on their 21<sup>st</sup> birthday. It was even in the same spot. Noah had said it was like a map to their home planet.</p>
<p>“Oh my god! When did you do this?” Isobel reached her hand out as if to stroke over the black ink, but Michael pulled his shirt up and turned back around.</p>
<p>“Um, it was uh, that night after the heart transplant.” Michael answered sheepishly. Isobel was surprised and almost jealous of the kind gesture.</p>
<p>Max just smiled, love in his expression. “Like I said, sap.” Michael rolled his eyes but had no retort.  </p>
<p>“You know that’s like ridiculously corny right?” Isobel asked. Truth was the reminder of how close she'd come to losing Max made her chest ache. It had been too close, but here he was. Thanks to Michael, and she couldn't have been more grateful.</p>
<p>“Oh shut up” Michael replied without malice. “I guess I was just feeling some brotherly love.”</p>
<p>Isobel thought it was actually kind of charming but she and Max both “awed” condescendingly before bursting into laughs. It was their sibling duty after all. Once the laughter died down Max announced that he was going to get them another round.</p>
<p>They drank, teased each other, and reminisced. It might have been her best birthday ever, even better than the awesome sweet sixteen party she had planned. Eventually a drunken Max started rambling.</p>
<p>“Now, this, this is how it’s supposed to be, there’s always supposed to be three, always three.” He punctuated his point by holding up three fingers.</p>
<p>“Oh no,” Isobel said while slapping a palm to her forehead “I’m getting 21<sup>st</sup> birthday flashbacks” Michael chuckled at her dramatics.</p>
<p>“Yes!” Max exclaimed “Exactly, this how it should have been, then, us.”</p>
<p>Isobel and Michael shared a small, but somewhat guilty look. They didn’t want to think about the birthdays that they hadn't spent together. But eventually Michael smiled and slapped his hand on Max’s shoulder.</p>
<p>“You know, if this was really going to be like our 21<sup>st</sup>, then someone should get a tattoo” Michael said mischievously.</p>
<p>“Wha?” Max replied. He looked confused until Michael nodded his head toward Isobel. “Oh! Yes Isobel you should…”</p>
<p>“Oh, no no no,” Isobel interrupted. She raised both her hands for emphasis. “I am not doing that.”</p>
<p>“Come on Iz, we both did it” Michael said broadly gesturing to himself and Max.</p>
<p>“That’s because you’re both idiots.” She replied coolly.</p>
<p>“No, it’s because there’s three of us, it’s for us, there needs to be three.” Max was drunk, but still way more coherent than on their actual 21<sup>st</sup>.</p>
<p>“Yeah,” Michael shook his head at Max but added “we’re here together, we should have this together”</p>
<p>“You two are crazy,” Isobel said “I am not getting a tattoo. And definitely not that one. There’s no way.” But she had to admit the idea didn’t sound so terrible. It was sweet how Michael had done that for Max. Having something to remember this by, this new founded closeness they all shared, it could be nice.</p>
<p>“Come on Isobel” Max pouted “We’ll hold your hand” He was being silly, but she knew it was true, they would hold her hand through anything. These two stubborn, protective, amazing, assholes, that she’d been blessed with for brothers.</p>
<p>“Yeah” Michael nodded, “Don’t you want to do this with your family?” Michael fluttered his eyelashes in an exaggerated impression of her when she asked him for favors. Isobel rolled her eyes but smiled.</p>
<p>“You guys know this is weird right?”</p>
<p>Michael shrugged his shoulders “Kinda” while at the same time Max emphatically shook his head and said “No.”</p>
<p>Isobel loved these two morons. “Well, we’re already creepily co-dependent. Why not add matching tattoos into the mix.” The boys cheered. “Alright let’s go.”</p>
<p>Michael pulled her aside for a second “You know you like don’t have to, right? Not if you really don’t want” He was so sweet, always caring about her needs. So aware of her issues, especially after Noah.</p>
<p>“I know Michael. I want to. Now let’s go before I change my mind” She said pushing them both towards the door.</p>
<p>So they went to the tattoo parlor. It was definitely her best birthday ever.</p>
<p>Max had been right, there had to be three.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thanks so much for reading! I haven't really written anything in a really long time, so I'm nervous to put it out there. All comments and kudos are deeply appreciated.</p></blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>